I'm Suing Donald Trump for Blocking Me on Twitter

"Tomorrow, it could be you."

In this op-ed, comedy writer Nick Jack Pappas explains why he and six others have chosen to sue President Donald J. Trump after being blocked by him on Twitter.

On June 5, 2017, President Donald Trump blocked me on Twitter.

It happened like this: Earlier that day, he wrote, “In any event, we are EXTREME VETTING people coming into the U.S. in order to keep our country safe. The courts are slow and political!”

Feeling concern for immigrants and their families — as that's who Trump was threatening with his proposed travel ban against Muslim-majority countries — I replied, “Trump is right. The government should protect the people. That’s why the courts are protecting us from him.”

In my defense, I did say he was right.

Despite the Supreme Court later allowing parts of the travel ban to take effect, I still have faith in the courts. I’m suing President Trump with six other individuals because I believe that in blocking us, he violated our First Amendment right of access to a public forum. He violated the Constitutional rights of others to hear our views. Among us are writers, professors, singers, veterans, and surgeons. Our voices have been silenced and we’ve been locked out of the room.

Compared to the mountain of worries brought about by this administration, I know that my interaction with the President is only a pebble. But pebbles roll and grow. They start avalanches. By silencing the smallest voices of dissent, he’s creating a precedent to silence more. Those who scoff at the lawsuit say I can still see the President’s tweets: All I need to do is log out of my account. Sure, I can’t reply directly, but I can still respond to my followers.

But that’s not enough. It doesn’t matter if we can still read what he says. What matters is that we’re denied the same access as other citizens. Let me explain.

On June 6, just one day after I was blocked, White House Communications Director Sean Spicer called Trump’s tweets “official statements.” Trump himself called his Twitter account “MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL,” which we can assume means he agrees with that assessment. If these are official statements, they have created a public forum and we, as Americans, have every right to be at that forum and speak. But he’s called security and kicked us out.

Twitter and other social networks are the new town hall for voters. The internet is where we congregate. Elections and policies are won or lost through the lens of social proof. When Russia attacked our republic by hacking the election, they attacked in a way the founding fathers never could have planned for: They lived in a time when news was spread on horseback. Now, with a few clicks and a few comments, hackers can attack our subconscious opinions.

Whether intentional or not, Trump is doing the same. When you read a tweet by Trump, it’s natural to want to read the comments. Only a few months ago, you would likely see resistance. Today, it’s muddled. I’ve noticed that the comments are increasingly in support. If you didn’t know better, you might think most people agree with Trump and his policies even though polls show otherwise.

By silencing critics, his actions are changing the social proof.

Many of us involved in the suit worry that voices will continue to be removed until all you can hear are the President’s words echoed back. What will happen then? Citizens on the fence will jump to the side of the crowd. Politicians, journalists, and those from other countries will grow worried that we all agree with Trump’s words when nothing could be further from the truth. That’s how social proof works.

This is a democracy and we value free speech. That’s why if there is a public forum, I have the right to be there, even if I disagree. (Especially if I do.) Not less of a right. Not a right that requires a workaround. The same right as anyone else.

I am genuinely concerned that tomorrow, it could be other voices of dissent. It could be those who peacefully protest — people who aren’t paid to march, but who worry they’ll someday pay with their rights.